1. Field of the Invention
This invention patent relates to a packaging system. More particularly, this invention relates to a means for reinforcing packaging corners that allows for some misalignment of vertically stacked packaging units without the bottom packaging unit collapsing or having a corner be crushed or fall inward.
2. Description of the Related Art
Articles such as outside air conditioners and large household appliances (washers, dryers, ranges, etc.) are often packaged and shipped in packaging units in which the article rests on a transport base and is enclosed by a box or carton, and in which vertical support posts are inserted between the article and the carton. The support posts are generally located adjacent the four interior corners of the carton (and thus are often referred to as corner posts) and typically extend from the transport base to the top of the carton. The posts not only protect the article from lateral impact forces but also provide axial (vertical) stacking strength. The forces applied to stacked packaging units can be substantial. For example, the force applied to the bottom unit in a stack of six 240 pound units is about 1200 pounds force. Loads placed on top of the packaging unit are borne primarily by the support posts and not by the packaged article.
When packaging units are not stacked in perfect vertical alignment (a phenomenon referred to as “off-stacking”), the corner posts bearing the brunt of the off-stacked load are more likely to fail (buckle) due to a less than optimal distribution of the load (stacking weight) on the corner post walls. At best, off-stacking can result in a slight crimping of the carton corner. At worst, off-stacking can result in the collapse of stacked units, damage to the packaged articles, and possible injury.
Thus it is an object of the present invention to provide a packaging system having reinforced corners that help spread the load to accommodate a certain amount of off-stacking.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a packaging system having reinforced corners that help prevent product damage and risk to personnel.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a corner reinforcement that is made from a folded paper blank and has integrally formed strengthening ribs.
Further and additional objects will appear from the description, accompanying drawings, and appended claims.
Plastic corner post caps are known, but these caps are designed either to help secure smaller packaged articles in an cube type array, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,901; or to help register (vertically align) a unit stacked on top, such as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,366,905 and 4,491,076. In any event, unlike the present invention, none of these prior art corner posts caps are made from a folded paper blank or are designed to be used with a cardboard carton.